Helping Entrepreneurs One Workshop at a Time: Lauri Rowe and QuickBooks for Small Businesses

February 19, 2025 by Sunnie Baker

Entrepreneurs tend to be filled with passion and big ideas. They have found a solution to a problem they see in the world, and they barrel ahead, excited for their new venture. However, in their enthusiasm to start a business, entrepreneurs sometimes neglect a crucial aspect: bookkeeping. To address this issue, the Ada Jobs Foundation launched its 2025 Workshop Series with QuickBooks for Small Businesses, where Lauri Rowe, a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and co-owner of Accurate and Balanced Business Services, provided guidance.

At the start of the workshop, Rowe engaged with attendees to learn about their backgrounds. While some attendees already owned businesses, others were exploring new ventures. Some of them had previous experience with QuickBooks, while some were new to the program. Even experienced QuickBooks users had faced challenges, and Rowe empathized, having overcome similar struggles herself. Rowe emphasized the distinction between simply operating QuickBooks and actively managing bookkeeping as a business function. Sending invoices through QuickBooks is one function, but using it to evaluate business performance and identify necessary changes is another. As Rowe pointed out, “You can’t grow what you can’t measure.”

Before adopting QuickBooks, Rowe manually handled her construction company’s bookkeeping with pencil and paper. Each tax season, her husband hauled in several Braum’s sacks filled with receipts, leaving Rowe with the tedious and often frustrating job of sorting them for tax filing. When they partnered with another person to launch a second construction company, Rowe recognized the need for a better bookkeeping system. She started using QuickBooks and quickly fell into one of the pitfalls of the program. It is deceptively user-friendly. While she was able to input information, she didn’t know enough about the program to get a clear picture of their business. Just when she was at her wits end, she received a flyer in the mail from someone, Wendy Phillips, who could not only do QuickBooks, but could also teach her how to do it herself. She contacted Phillips immediately. Though they were two very different people, they became fast friends and now have a bookkeeping business together Rowe regrets not learning QuickBooks sooner, as mastering the program finally gave her a clear understanding of their business’s financial health.

Rowe is an advocate for financial literacy, especially for business owners and entrepreneurs, and Rowe considers QuickBooks one of the most valuable tools for business owners and entrepreneurs. She says, “QuickBooks helps entrepreneurs understand their finances, make informed decisions, and stay tax-ready, giving them the confidence to manage their business effectively.” However, business owners must also develop a strong understanding of the program. For example, QuickBooks allows users to connect their bank accounts and automatically categorize purchases, but these default categories often lack specificity. If something is tagged as a meal, the bank account does not know what type of meal it is, or its relevant for tax deductions. However, if you are proficient with QuickBooks, then can properly code deductions, ensuring smoother tax preparation and a clearer view of their spending patterns.

Rowe is passionate about helping other entrepreneurs and business owners succeed and that was her favorite part of leading this workshop. She says, “I loved seeing the ‘aha’ moments when the attendees realized they could take control of their finances and the great conversations that came out of it.” Although most attendees had some QuickBooks experience, they hadn’t realized its crucial role in their financial success. As Rowe explained the differences between balance sheets and profit and loss statements—and how they indicate business health—attendees took detailed notes and asked clarifying questions. One of the greatest benefits of these workshops is that they bring community members together to openly discuss relevant and valuable topics in an open and engaging atmosphere.

While the QuickBooks workshop has passed, Ada Jobs Foundation will likely revisit it in the future because of the overwhelming positive response from the attendees. One entrepreneur, Teresa Rockroth, says, “The QuickBooks for Small Business workshop was exactly what we needed. Perfect timing! We attended, representing a few small businesses of our own and our family members, and we learned pertinent information for each business, and best of all, we networked with resources that can continue to help us grow our businesses. We are grateful for Ada Jobs Foundation for providing these opportunities!” Be sure to check out the upcoming Spring workshops, including Customer Discovery on March 13^th, Content Creation: Canva & Social Media Tips on April 10^th, and Public Speaking for Entrepreneurs on May 8^th. To learn more or register, contact Sunnie Baker at sbaker@growada.com.

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